Prior to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, blacks in the United States had minimal voting rights, and were often refused their right to vote in the southern states. These states also constantly looked for holes in the system to keep the blacks from voting. In 1901 Virginia created a poll tax so that new voters would have to pay to vote, as well as pay a yearly fee to maintain that right. Within 90 days of this tax, more than 125,000 of the 147,000 of the black voters lost their right to vote. These struggles that the blacks went through to be able to vote continued for many decades to come.
Events such as “Bloody Sunday” in Selma, Alabama persuaded President Johnson to propose a Voting Rights Act. “Bloody Sunday” was March 7, 1965 when state troopers attacked 525 civil rights demonstrators who were taking part in a march between Selma and Montgomery, Alabama. More than 50 demonstrators were injured.
This video shows how the demonstrators were marching peacefully for a cause that they believed in. State troopers attacked them with no reason and many were injured. As you can see, "Bloody Sunday" was a huge reason why the Voting Rights Act should have been passed earlier than it was.
The Voting Rights Act (VRA)contained provisions that were designed to ensure that African Americans gained an equal opportunity to register and vote in states where they had been denied before. There were general provisions and special/emergency provisions. General provisions applied to every state and were permanent, while special/emergency provisions applied to mostly the South where minority voting rights were abused.
This signing marks the change that all the blacks had been working for, as the bill being signed assures them their voting rights.
This bill has many provisions that deal with voting. Almost all of the states said that there should be an explicit grant of the right to vote. A little more than half of the states said that all elections should be “free and equal”. A lot less than half of the states said that there should be an implicit grant of the right to vote. As mentioned before the provisions that were made were either special provisions or general provisions. The states that said that there should be an explicit grant on the right to vote would have a special provision especially the ones in the South. The other two categories would have general provisions.
This chart displays the change in black voters in Southern states since the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Prior to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, blacks in the United States had minimal voting rights, and were often refused their right to vote in the southern states. These states also constantly looked for holes in the system to keep the blacks from voting. In 1901 Virginia created a poll tax so that new voters would have to pay to vote, as well as pay a yearly fee to maintain that right. Within 90 days of this tax, more than 125,000 of the 147,000 of the black voters lost their right to vote. These struggles that the blacks went through to be able to vote continued for many decades to come.
Events such as “Bloody Sunday” in Selma, Alabama persuaded President Johnson to propose a Voting Rights Act. “Bloody Sunday” was March 7, 1965 when state troopers attacked 525 civil rights demonstrators who were taking part in a march between Selma and Montgomery, Alabama. More than 50 demonstrators were injured.
This video shows how the demonstrators were marching peacefully for a cause that they believed in. State troopers attacked them with no reason and many were injured. As you can see, "Bloody Sunday" was a huge reason why the Voting Rights Act should have been passed earlier than it was.
The Voting Rights Act (VRA)contained provisions that were designed to ensure that African Americans gained an equal opportunity to register and vote in states where they had been denied before. There were general provisions and special/emergency provisions. General provisions applied to every state and were permanent, while special/emergency provisions applied to mostly the South where minority voting rights were abused.
This signing marks the change that all the blacks had been working for, as the bill being signed assures them their voting rights.
This bill has many provisions that deal with voting. Almost all of the states said that there should be an explicit grant of the right to vote. A little more than half of the states said that all elections should be “free and equal”. A lot less than half of the states said that there should be an implicit grant of the right to vote. As mentioned before the provisions that were made were either special provisions or general provisions. The states that said that there should be an explicit grant on the right to vote would have a special provision especially the ones in the South. The other two categories would have general provisions.
This chart displays the change in black voters in Southern states since the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
For additional research on this topic, visit the following websites:
The Voting Rights Act of 1965
Selma to Montgomery March (1965)